| Award | Nomination Deadline: |
| Recognition of Merit | February 15 |
| Distinguished Language Educator | March 15 |
| Anthony J. Gradisnik Award | March 15 |
| Student Awards for Language Study (2 award levels) | March 15 |
| Frank M. Grittner New Teacher Award | March 15 |
| Future Language Teacher | April 1 |
| Certificate of Professional Service | May 15 |
| Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in WL Programs | Rolling |
Nomination forms (New 2024): Each award has its own nomination Google Form linked after the award description.
WAFLT Recognition of Merit
Purpose: The Recognition of Merit may be presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in teaching or who have made significant contributions to the language teaching profession.
Eligibility: Nominees must be current WAFLT members in good standing and must have been WAFLT members for the three consecutive years preceding the year of nomination. They must have five years’ experience as world language educators. They may be active or retired educators.
Selection Criteria: Eligibility, professional achievement and activities, and dedication to the world language profession.
Award: Certificate of Recognition.
Procedure: The nominator submits the Award Nomination Form with a letter of recommendation. Upon written request from the WAFLT Awards Committee, the nominee will submit a professional resumé/curriculum vitae with a letter explaining his/her philosophy of teaching world languages.
Nomination Deadline: February 15
Distinguished Language Educator
Established in 1980
Purpose: WAFLT’s highest recognition, the Distinguished Language Educator Award, may be conferred annually on an individual of the language teaching profession who has demonstrated long-term achievement and service to WAFLT and to the profession – locally, statewide, regionally, and/or nationally.
Eligibility: Current WAFLT members in good standing with a minimum of five consecutive years as WAFLT members and minimum of ten years’ experience as world language educators. A history of service to WAFLT is required.
Selection Criteria: Eligibility; review of the candidate’s professional achievements and activities; evidence of continued professional growth; excellence in language teaching and/or administration; service to the world language profession locally, regionally, and/or nationally; and service to WAFLT. The documents of any candidates not selected in their initial year of nomination will be retained for consideration in the following two years. The Awards Chairperson will automatically contact the nominator and the nominee for renomination authorization and to request updated nomination materials.
Award: An engraved plaque and a $500.00 honorarium.
Procedure: The following items must be collected and submitted as a complete portfolio to the WAFLT Awards Committee:
- The Award Nomination form
- A letter of endorsement from the nominator
- The following information about the nominee:
- The Award Nomination form
- A letter of endorsement from the nominator
- The following information about the nominee:
- Educational background
- Teaching experience
- Recent travel relevant to teaching Service to WAFLT
- Service to the language profession as a whole
- Membership in other professional organizations
- Contributions and service to school language programs and other professional organizations
- Workshops given, papers presented, articles published
- Awards and honors received
- A letter written by the nominee explaining his/ her philosophy of teaching, the importance of language study, and the qualities that contribute to successful teaching and professional involvement
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A minimum of five letters of recommendation coming from any of the following sources: school principal, district Supervisor, department chairperson, dean, colleagues, current and/or former students.
Anthony J. Gradisnik Award
Established in 1998
The Anthony J. Gradisnik Award commemorates Mr. Gradisnik’s exceptional enthusiasm and advocacy for language education. Mr. Gradisnik, who began his career as a Spanish Teacher after World War II, was a foreign language curriculum specialist for Milwaukee Public Schools from 1959 to 1979.
Purpose / Eligibility: The Gradisnik Award may be conferred on an individual or group especially from outside the world language teaching profession who shares Mr. Gradisnik’s enthusiasm and advocacy for language education in such areas as international education, early language learning, and creative initiatives in language education.
Award: An engraved plaque and reimbursement for expenses incurred for award acceptance.
Procedure: The following items must be collected and submitted as a complete portfolio to the Awards Committee:
- The Award Nomination form
- A letter of endorsement from the nominator
- A minimum of two letters of support
- Support documentation which bears direct relevance to the nomination (not to exceed ten pages).
Nomination Deadline: March 15
WAFLT Honors in Language Study Award (Top Student)
Purpose: WAFLT Honors in Language Study Award may be conferred on students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in and commitment to their school’s language programs.
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in the most advanced world language course offered at their school. High school and post-secondary students are eligible. Schools may nominate one student from each language taught.
Selection Criteria: Evidence of interest and ongoing excellence in language study both within and beyond the classroom.
Award: Certificate of Excellence.
Procedure: A teacher who is a current WAFLT member must submit the Award Nomination Form with a letter of recommendation, along with a brief statement from the student nominee providing the following information:
- present year or level in school
- present language teacher(s)
- language(s) student studies and number of years of study
- future plans (further education, career choice if known, etc.)
- how studying a language has affected the student’s life.
Note: A student may win this award even if they have won the Excellence award in the past.
Honors in Language Study Award Nomination Form
Nomination Deadline: March 15
WAFLT Excellence in Language Study Award (Any Level)
Purpose: The WAFLT Excellence in Language Study Award may be conferred on students who have demonstrated great achievement and progress in language study and who exhibit great potential for further achievement in the language.
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in a world language course offered at their school. Elementary, middle school, high school, and post-secondary students are eligible. Each active member of WAFLT may nominate one student from each language taught per building taught. Members that teach in multiple schools may nominate one student per school.
Selection Criteria: Evidence of interest in language study both within and beyond the classroom and a desire to continue with the language/plans to use the language.
Award: Certificate of Excellence.
Procedure: A teacher who is a current WAFLT member must submit the Award Nomination Form with a letter of recommendation, along with a brief statement from the student nominee providing the following information:
- present year or level in school
- present language teacher(s)
- language(s) student studies and number of years of study
- why the student has chosen to study the language(s)
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how studying a language will benefit his/her future
what motivates the student to study a language (MS/HS/Uni) OR why does the student enjoy studying a language (ES)
Note: A student may only win this award once during their studies.
Excellence in Language Study Nomination Form
Nomination Deadline: March 15
Frank M. Grittner New Teacher Award
Established in 1998
The Frank M. Grittner award honors Frank Grittner, a tireless promoter of high standards for language teacher preparation in our schools as the Wisconsin State Foreign Language supervisor from 1961 to 1991.
Purpose: The WAFLT Frank M. Grittner New Teacher Award may be conferred annually on an individual new to the language teaching profession with one to three years experience who has demonstrated excellence in teaching and leadership in the promotion of language learning and international understanding; has given service to school, community, and state organizations; and has shown commitment to regional and national organizations.
Eligibility: Current WAFLT members in good standing with one to three years as WAFLT members and teachers of a language.
Selection criteria: Eligibility; evidence of quality and impact of teaching with program descriptions and letters of support from students, colleagues, administrators; evidence of leadership such as project descriptions, workshops given, papers presented, articles published, awards and honors received; evidence of service to school, community, and state organizations including memberships, offices, contributions, presentations to the public, media coverage, and participation in cultural events; evidence of participation in regional or national organizations, including attendance, service, contributions, memberships, and offices.
Award: An engraved plaque and a $250.00 honorarium.
Procedure: The following items must be collected and submitted as a complete portfolio to the WAFLT Awards Committee:
- The Award Nomination form
- A letter of endorsement from the nominator
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The following information about the nominee:
A current resumé/curriculum vitae which includes educational background
Teaching experience
Recent travel relevant to teaching
Support documentation which bears direct relevance to the criteria for nomination (not exceed ten pages).
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A minimum of three letters of recommendation coming from any of the following sources: school principal, district supervisor, department chairperson, university dean and/or professors, colleagues, current and/or former students
Nomination Deadline: March 15
Frank M Grittner Award Nomination Form
View a list of Past Recipients
WAFLT Future Language Teacher Award
Purpose : The WAFLT Future Language Teacher Award may be conferred annually on students in teacher-training programs who have shown exceptional promise and potential to become outstanding world language educators.
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in, or having completed, student teaching (or equivalent) of a teacher-training program. Each teacher-training program may nominate one student from each language.
Selection Criteria: Demonstration of interest in world language education and potential for excellence in teaching.
Award: Certificate of Achievement.
Procedure: The nominator must submit the Award Nomination Form along with a letter of recommendation. Upon written request from the WAFLT Awards Committee, the student nominee will submit a professional resumé and a short essay, in English, titled “Why I Have Chosen the Teaching of World Languages as a Profession.” Nominator must offer evidence of candidate’s active experience in a classroom setting.
Nomination Deadline: April 1
WAFLT Professional Service Award
Purpose: The WAFLT Professional Service Award may be presented annually to recent retirees who have served both the profession and their students in providing quality world language education.
Eligibility: Recent retirees with a minimum of ten years’ experience as language educators and who have been members of WAFLT a minimum of five years within the past ten years.
Selection Criteria: Eligibility, dedication, and service to the language profession.
Award: Certificate for Professional Service.
Procedure: The nominator must submit the Award Nomination Form with a letter of recommendation. Upon written request from the WAFLT Awards Committee, the nominee will provide a professional resumé/curriculum vitae with a letter containing career highlights as a world language educator.
Nomination Deadline: May 15
Professional Service Award Nomination Form
The Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in World Language Programs
One award may be awarded on an annual basis and will recognize schools and / or districts that promote language learning through quality programs.
Portfolios may be submitted by an individual member when a school / district feels it has met the criteria below and has gathered all the appropriate material. Portfolios submitted by June 1st will be evaluated by the Awards Committee before the annual September board meeting and may be awarded at the annual Fall Conference. Submissions after August 1st will be considered for the following year’s conference.
Criteria for Selection
Submissions must describe how the program is exemplary in each of the following categories, by means of an electronic portfolio. The nominating packet should include the following:
- An outline that give statistical information about the district, world language staff, contact information, languages offered, etc.
- Narrative that addresses the criteria (see below) from program teachers and administrators (not to exceed 10 pages)
- Documentation, such as newspaper articles, website, video, etc. that support the criteria (not to exceed 5 pages)
- Letters from parents, administrators, professional organization leaders, teachers from other content areas, graduates of the program (not to exceed 5 pages)
Criteria for this award will be based on the following categories:
Program Model
- Percentage of students enrolled in language program(s) at various levels
- Elementary and middle school models offer the study of one language in year long program, articulated to High School level for every year the program is available to students
Curriculum
- Curriculum aligned to national / state standards
- Articulation / placement plan within the district that recognizes previous language learning (i.e. Placement test / interview process, Heritage language leaner credit)
Staffing
- Teachers licenses and degrees listed as “highly qualified” educators in their positions
- Evidence of active involvement of staff in world language professional development
- Evidence of teamwork in school, school district and community
Advocacy and Institutional Support
- Evidence of advocating for language learning in the community and interaction with the community
- Opportunities provided for the use of the language outside the classroom; within the local and / or global community
Achievement
- Evidence of student success within the program and beyond
- Program outcomes aligned with program model
Specific criteria at the different levels will also be taken into consideration:
High School
- Percentage of students enrolled in upper level courses (beyond level 2)
- Active language clubs, extra-curricular opportunities
- Less commonly taught languages offered
Middle School Criteria
- Curriculum is content-related/based
- Number of contact minutes per week/school year is substantial
Elementary School Criteria
- Participation open to all students at multiple grade levels, beginning at the earliest grades
- Integration of language within content areas as appropriate to the program model and grade level.
